EJ and ET's Blog

60th WEDDING ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION October 7, 2007

Pictured are Scott_Pam_Duane_Deanne_Pat_Eleanor_Tom_Gene_Taylor was in California
On September 20th, 2007 we had been married 60 years! We had not set that as a goal, but since son, Scott had set up a “Blog” site in late 2006 we decided to write “our story” in weekly segments beginning January 1, 2007. There are probably enough topics left on the list to complete the year.
September 20th fell mid week this year so we polled family members for a convenient date to get together. Sunday, October 7th was between football games for grandchildren, between flights for Scott & Pam and a date when organist Bill Pedrick could come from
Des Moines to provide a concert of “Golden Oldies”. We got permission to pre-empt Village Vespers and invited all Villagers and friends to join our family for “Sundaes on Sunday” at 3:30PM in Smith Fellowship Hall decorated for fall. In addition to our family pictured, Ken Allbaugh, Dorothy Tuttle, Bill & Jean Shields from the ISU-Robins gathered for dinner together in the Village Private Dining Room.

WINTER ESCAPES - FINAL MOTORHOMING AS "SNOWBIRDS"

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During February 1994 we were back in AZ with Jean & Loren Coburn, Northa & Jack Whiton and Eldred & Donna Harman, Perry friends and Bea & Elmer Nordstrom, Vinton neighbors in Sun City. We also saw Ray & June Hagie, Evert & Ruby Danielson and Lucille Pearson, a Smith family cousin while in that area. On to Mesa where Neale & Marion Sinclair had found a space in Silver Ridge camp for our motorhome - not an easy thing to do in February, especially short term. Doris & Keith Gaumer & Ethel's friends Harriet & Pat Patterson were nearby.
On our way home we had an evening of bridge with Jack & Eli Stratford, friends from Copper Canyon trip in Roswell, NM.
We observed Christmas in Mexico in 1993 and in 1994 we were camping in Chattehooche, FL - very different cultures respecting the same biblical story. We started the new 1995 in Haines City where Gene's cousin Marvin & Jean Van Metre had secured space for 2 months for us in their year round Sun Air Resort. There we enjoyed their friends Amos & Betty Larsen and Eunice & Austin Witter. Since we were now towing our car behind the motorhome we took day trips to see Bob & Jean Walters in Seabring, Bob & Donna Horsfall at Plant City and Bruce & Mary Cay Marcue at Sarasota. On our way back to Iowa we visited Gene & Clarice Mahany at Gulf Shores, AL. We liked the beach along the Gulf and hoped to camp there later.

WINTER ESCAPES - MORE MOTORHOMING AS "SNOWBIRDS"

WINTER ESCAPES - MORE MOTORHOMING AS "SNOWBIRDS"

Moving to our townhome at The Village in 1991 gave us the security of knowing that our home there was checked regularly and they also collected our mail for forwarding to us. We used Fax, e-mail and weekly phone calls to family to keep in touch and kept a daily journal of our activities.
Treasure Lake Vacation Resort at Branson, MO was a popular camp with us; it was a pleasant setting; but, more important it was a convenient day's drive from and to Indianola. It's climate was enough warmer so it was also a good place to winterize when coming home or to fill water tanks before heading on to warmer areas.
Florida called us in 1991 when we spent a month in the same Park near Haines City as Gene's cousins Marvin & Jean Van Metre and where they still live. We continued to the southern tip where Eleanor's sister Ethel & Bill Pippert wintered in the Keyes at Marathon. Our parking spot there was on a jetty, a narrow strip of land with the the Gulf on one side and the Atlantic Ocean on the other. These trips allowed visits with Bruce & Mary Cay Marcue at Sarasota, Joe & Dorothy Petras at St. Petersburg and Bob & Donna Horsfall at Plant City, home of the best strawberries. Other points of interest were Bok Tower & Gardens and Key West.

WINTER ESCAPES - MORE MOTORHOMING AS "SNOWBIRDS"

     You may wonder how Snowbirds spend day after day without jobs or family commitments.  Most camps have activity programs, crafts, sports competition, line dancing, card games and pot lucks, but "eating out" tempts Snowbirds to try new restaurants and meet new friends.  We did all of the above; but since we carried the computer Gene input genealogy information for Bruene, Koster, Perry, Smith & VanMetre families, Eleanor had her portable Singer sewing machine to make lap robes and school bags in addition to a little quilting and baking bread.  The Yamaha portable keyboard rested on the motorhome dashboard when we wanted to create our own music.  In AZ especially we rented movies and enjoyed city library use for books.
       We headed west in 1988, camped near Grand Canyon and continued to visit college friends, John & Elaine Bancroft in San Bernadino, CA and Eleanor's Aunts Mildred & Bill Hokenson and Alice & Howard Wheater in Downey, CA.  The Wheaters are great gardeners and generous with its produce, especially the best avocodos.  This trip gave us a chance to meet cousins, Linda & Bill Bauman, Carolyn & Jay Goodin and their daughters Cindy & Jan & Paul Hokenson.  Also Wheater's son John, wife Sandi & 2 1/2 year old Tristan.  Bill Hokenson drove fast and Mildred navigated to Santa Barbara, Santa Paula & Long Beach for scenic views and good restaurants.
     Back in the motorhome we traveled south to Ramona where Perry friends, Loren & Jean Coburn joined us for 2 days of "catching up".  Highlights after leaving them were the San Diego Wild Animal Park near Escondido, a glimpse of 2 pandas from China at San Diego Zoo and a visit  with Smith family friends Ada & Fred Cicalo who directed us to several retirement facilities that we wanted to evaluate for our plans to build a Continuing Care Retirement Community in Indianola.  Pleasant camping at Julian, CA caused us to return to this area of southern CA in later years. Continue reading "Winter Escapes-more Motorhoming".